Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned variety which originates from the region of . The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in .K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 52 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345, a possible descendant of . Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white wine. The grape is also a component of the famous from and . Sauvignon Blanc is widely cultivated in , , , , , , , and . Depending on the , the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Wine experts have used the phrase "crisp, elegant, and fresh" as a favorable description of Sauvignon Blanc from the and .K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 268 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345Materman, "Stuff of legends: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc." Sauvignon Blanc, when slightly chilled, pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre. It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well with .Robert Joseph and Margaret Rand, KISS Guide to Wine DK Pub 2000 ISBN 0-7894-5981-7 Along with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging, except for some oak-aged Pessac-Léognan and Graves from Bordeaux that can age up to fifteen years. Dry and sweet white , typically made with Sauvignon Blanc as a major component, is another exception. History The Sauvignon Blanc grape traces its origins to western France in the and . As noted above, it is not clear that the vine originated in western France. Ongoing research suggests it may have descended from savagnin. It has also been associated with the carmenere family. At some point in the 18th century, the vine paired with to parent the vine in Bordeaux. In the 19th century, plantings in Bordeaux were often interspersed with (In Chile, known as ) as well as the Sauvignon Blanc pink mutation . Prior to the epidemic, the plague which devastated French vineyards in the 19th century, these interspersed cuttings were transported to where the are still common today. Despite the similarity in names, Sauvignon Blanc has no known relation to the mutation found in the of .Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 221 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 The first cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc were brought to by , founder of , in the 1880s.Wine Pros Sauvignon blanc These cuttings came from the vineyards of . The plantings produced well in . Eventually, the wine acquired the alias of "Fumé Blanc" in California by promotion of in 1968. The grape was first introduced to New Zealand in the 1970s as an experimental planting to be blended with .Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 225 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 Climate and geography The Sauvignon Blanc vine often buds late but early, which allows it to perform well in sunny climates when not exposed to overwhelming heat. In warm regions such as , and , the grape flourishes in cooler climate such as the area. In areas where the vine is subjected to high heat, the grape will quickly become over-ripe and produce wines with dull flavors and flat acidity. has had an effect on the Sauvignon Blanc grape, with the rising global temperatures causing farmers to the grapes earlier than they have in the past.Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 222 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 The grape originated in France, in the regions of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.[http://www.wineloverspage.com/lexicon/ Wine Lover's Page, "Sauvignon Blanc"] Plantings in California, Australia, Chile and South Africa are also extensive, and Sauvignon Blanc is steadily increasing in popularity as white wine drinkers seek alternatives to . The grape can also be found in and . Wine regions France In , Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the of Bordeaux (especially in Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves and Pessac-Leognan as a dry wine, and in Sauternes as a sweet wine) as well as the of the Loire Valley (as , , and Sauvignon de ). The climates of these areas are particularly favorable in slowing the ripening on the vine, allowing the grape more time to develop a balance between its acidity and sugar levels. This balance is important in the development of the intensity of the wine's aromas. in France pay careful attention to the characteristics of the soil and the different elements that it can impart to the wine. The and Kimmeridgean of Sancerre and Pouilly produces wines of richness and complexity while areas with more compact chalk soils produces wines with more finesse and perfume. The soil found near the and its tributaries impart spicy, floral and mineral flavors while in Bordeaux, the wines have a fruitier personality. Vines planted in tend to produce the most vigorous and longest lasting wines. Pouilly Fumé originate from the town of , located directly across the Loire River from the commune of . The soil here is very flinty with deposits of which the locals believed imparted a smoky, gun flint flavor to the wine and hence Fumé, the French word for "smoke" was attached to the wine.K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 272 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 However, the really smoke flavoured wines are due to the fact that the wines have been fermented in barrels that have been deliberately "burnt", such that there is a distinct difference between these two styles of Pouilly Fumé. Along with Sémillon, and , Sauvignon Blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of white . Mostly used as a blending grape, Sauvignon Blanc is the principal grape in Pavillon Blanc,K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 123 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 In the northern Valley, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with to form a tart white wine.J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 120 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996 In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make the , Sauternes. The composition of Sauvignon Blanc varies from producer and can range from 5-50% with the Château d'Yquem using 20%. A traditional practice often employed in Sauternes is to plant one Sauvignon Blanc vine at regular intervals among rows of Semillon. However, Sauvignon Blanc's propensity to ripen 1–2 weeks earlier can lead the grapes to lose some of their intensity and aroma as they hang longer on the vine. This has prompted more producers to isolate their parcels of Sauvignon Blanc.J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 124 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996 Near the edge of the commune is an AOC called that is gaining attention for its Sauvignon Blanc production.M. Kramer Saved by Sauvignon The Wine Spectator pg 36 July 31st, 2007 Australia In Australia, particularly the region, the grape is often blended with . styles, made from only the Sauvignon Blanc grape, from and have a style distinctive from their New Zealand neighbors that tend to be more ripe in flavor with white peach and lime notes and slightly higher acidity. Chile and Brazil In the early 1990s, began to distinguish Sauvignon Blanc from Sauvignonasse plantings in Chile. The character of non-blended Chilean Sauvignon Blanc are noticeably less acidic than the wines of New Zealand and more similar to the French style that is typical of . The region of is the most notable area for Sauvignon Blanc in Chile due to its cooler climate which allows the grapes to be picked up to six weeks later than in other parts of Chile. In Brazil, ampelographers have discovered that the vines called Sauvignon Blanc planted in the region are really . New Zealand In the 1990s, Sauvignon Blanc wines from the maritime climatic regions of , particularly the , became popular on the wine market. In the Marlborough region, sandy soils over shingles have become the most desirable locations for plantings due to the good drainage of the soil and poor fertility that encourages the vine to concentrate its flavors in lower yields. In the flood plain of the Valley, the soil runs in east-west bands across the area. This can create a wide diversity of flavors for vineyards that are planted north-south with the heavier soils producing more herbaceous wines from grapes that ripen late and vines planted in stonier soils ripening earlier and imparting more lush and tropical flavors. It is this difference in soils, and the types of harvest time decisions that wine producers must make, that add a unique element to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The long narrow geography of the South Island ensures that no vineyard is more than 80 mi from the coast. The cool, maritime climate of the area allows for a long and steady growing season in which the grapes can ripen and develop a natural balance of acids and sugars. This brings out the flavors and intensity that New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are noted for.K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 807 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 More recently, in the and , and in the have been attracting attention for their Sauvignon Blanc releases, which often exhibit subtle differences to those from Marlborough ( ). The asparagus, gooseberry and green flavor commonly associated with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is derived from flavor compounds known as that becomes more pronounced and concentrated in wines from cooler climate regions. Riper flavors such as passion fruit, along with other notes such as boxwood, may be driven by concentrations. North America In North America, California is the leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc with plantings also found in and on the and in Canada. In California wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape is also known as Fumé Blanc. This was first made by 's Winery in 1968. Mondavi had been offered a crop of particularly good Sauvignon Blanc by a grower. At that time the variety had a poor reputation in California due to its grassy flavor and aggressive aromas. Mondavi decided to try to tame that aggressiveness with and released the wine under the name Fumé Blanc as an allusion to the French . The usage of the term is primarily a base one with California wine makers choosing whichever name they prefer. Both oaked and unoaked Sauvignon Blanc wines have been marketed under the name Fumé blanc.K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 647 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 California Sauvignon Blancs tend to fall into two styles. The New Zealand influenced-Sauvignon Blanc have more tropical fruit undertones with citrus and passion fruit notes. The Mondavi-influenced Fumé Blanc are more round with melon notes. Other areas Sauvignon Blanc is also beginning to gain prominence in areas like 's and and 's areas. It is also one of the main ingredients in , one of Italy's most celebrated sweet wines. Viticulture in New Zealand and Chile harvest the grapes at various intervals for the different blending characteristics that the grape can impart depending on its ripeness levels. At its most unripe stage, the grape is high in . As it progresses further towards ripeness the grape develops red & green pepper flavors and eventually achieves a balance of sugars. The flavors characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc come from the chemicals . Grapes grown in Marlborough's Wairau Valley may exhibit different levels of ripeness over the vineyard, caused by slight unevenness in the land and giving a similar flavor profile to the resulting wine. Sauvignon Blanc can be greatly influenced by decisions in the process. One decision is the amount of contact that the has with the skins of the grape. In the early years of the New Zealand wine industry, there were no wineries on the South Island which meant that freshly harvested grapes had to be trucked and then ferried to the , often all the way up to . This allowed for prolonged exposure of the skins and juice which sharpened the intensity and pungency of the wine. Some winemakers, like the Loire, intentionally leave a small amount of must to spend some time in contact with the skin for later blending purposes. Other winemakers, like in California, generally avoid any contact with the skin due to the reduced aging ability of the resulting wine.Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 223 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 Another important decision is the temperature of . French winemakers prefer warmer fermentations (around 16-18 °C) that bring out the mineral flavors in the wine while makers prefer slightly colder temperatures to bring out more fruit and tropical flavors. A small minority of Loire winemakers will put the wine through , a practice more often associated with New Zealand wines. Oak aging can have a pronounced effect on the wine, with the oak rounding out the flavors and softening the naturally high acidity of the grape. Some winemakers, like those in New Zealand and Sancerre, prefer stainless steel fermentation tanks over barrels with the intention of maintaining the sharp focus and flavor intensity.K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 811 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345 Synonyms Sauvignon Blanc is also known under the synonyms Beyaz Sauvignon, Blanc Doux, Blanc Fume, Bordeaux Bianco, Douce Blanche, Feher Sauvignon, Feigentraube, Fie, Fie dans le Neuvillois, Fume, Fume Blanc, Fume Surin, Genetin, Gennetin, Gentin a Romorantin, Gros Sauvignon, Libournais, Melkii Sotern, Muskat Silvaner, Muskat Sylvaner, Muskatani Silvanec, Muskatni Silvanec, Muskatsilvaner, Painechon, Pellegrina, Petit Sauvignon, Picabon, Piccabon, Pinot Mestny Bely, Pissotta, Puinechou, Punechon, Punechou, Quinechon, Rouchelin, Sampelgrina, Sarvonien, Sauternes, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Bianco, Sauvignon Bijeli, Sauvignon Blanco, Sauvignon Fume, Sauvignon Gros, Sauvignon Jaune, Sauvignon Jeune, Sauvignon Petit, Sauvignon Vert, Sauvignon White, Savagnin, Savagnin Blanc, Savagnin Musque, Savagnou, Savignon, Servanien, Servonien, Servoyen, Souternes, Sovinak, Sovinjon, Sovinjon Beli, Sovinon, Spergolina, Surin, Sylvaner Musque, Uva Pelegrina, Weisser Sauvignon, and Zöld Ortlibi.Sauvignon Blanc, , accessed 2010-11-24 See also * References Further reading * LAROUSSE Encyclopedia of WINE, Hamlyn, 2001, ISBN 0-600-60475-6 * Taber, G. Judgment of Paris. New York: Scribner's, 2005. External links *New Zealand Vintage Chart *Wine News "The four faces of California Sauvignon Blanc" Category:White wine grape varieties Category:Grapes Category:A to Z Index